Ante Budimir, a halftime substitute, scored in the 54th minute to give Croatia a 1-0 victory over Panama in a tightly contested Group L World Cup match in Toronto on Tuesday, eliminating Panama from contention.
It was the first World Cup goal for the 34-year-old Budimir and his fifth in a competitive fixture for Croatia, all of which have come since 2023. Croatia now sits third in the group with three points (1-1-0), but can secure a top-two finish with a win over Ghana in their final group match on Saturday in Philadelphia.
Panama's World Cup Woes Continue
Panama remains winless in their World Cup history, having lost both matches in 2026 (0-2-0, 0 points). They have yet to earn a point in five World Cup matches overall. However, despite missing injured talisman Adalberto Carrasquilla, Panama's goal differential is six better than at the same stage in their first World Cup appearance in 2018.
Budimir's goal came from Croatia's best attack of the match. Josip Stanisic combined with Marco Pasalic down the right flank, then delivered a well-weighted cross to the top of the six-yard box. Panama goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera dove to intercept but could not reach the ball, and Budimir arrived at the back post to guide a composed finish into an open goal.
Match Intensifies After Goal
The goal sparked a 15-minute period of frenetic action. Three minutes later, Croatia captain Luka Modric played Pasalic in alone on goal from his own half. Mosquera sized up Pasalic and charged off his line at the right moment to smother the initial attempt, and Pasalic fired wide from a poor angle on the rebound.
Panama responded by forcing Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic into three saves within a minute. The third was the best, as Livakovic leaped to deny Carlos Harvey's header from a corner lofted to the back post. The second-half hydration break followed that sequence, perhaps disrupting Panama's momentum, and Livakovic was untroubled in the final stages.
Looking Ahead
Panama will now look to play spoilers against England in their finale on Saturday in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Earlier Tuesday, England (1-0-1, 4 points) played to a 0-0 draw with Ghana (1-0-1, 4 points).
